PA Turnpike News

[Mr_Northside]

Curious... When did the ticket system on the west side of the turnpike move to Warrendale?  What was the rationale behind that and the one way toll at Gateway?

It moved sometime between 2000 and 2008 (not sure when). This from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette in 2005 discusses some of the relevant dates associated with the west end of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

As part of the elimination of that breezewood, the ticket system's west terminus was moved to a point just east of I-79, and the old Gateway toll plaza was converted to a one-way barrier toll for traffic entering Pennsylvania from Ohio.

IIRC, the entire Westgate toll barrier was completely rebuilt (eastbound & westbound) only a few years before they decided to tear down the "new" westbound booths (wasting money there) and turning the eastbound border entrance into a flat-rate-per-class toll barrier.

Pretty Much.  Both Warrendale & the state line plazas were built as part of the "Cranberry Connector" project to make Cranberry free-flowing.   The state line plaza was for both directions, but was always flat-rate from the first rebuilt.  The PTC did not have the right-of-way to accommodate Express EZ-Pass lanes and booths for both directions, so their solution was to demo half of it and double the tolls for EB traffic.
While early on in the history of EZ-Pass, they did think to put the room for the lanes in @ Warrendale, but waited till later to think about the state line (though I think that was done close to when they 6-laned from the plaza to the New Castle (I-376) interchange.

[cpzilliacus]

PTC press release: PA Turnpike Commission Stops Work on Mon-Fayette Expressway - Commissioners freeze project spending due to apparent lack of support.

[cpzilliacus]

Curious... When did the ticket system on the west side of the turnpike move to Warrendale?  What was the rationale behind that and the one way toll at Gateway?

It moved sometime between 2000 and 2008 (not sure when). This from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette in 2005 discusses some of the relevant dates associated with the west end of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

As part of the elimination of that breezewood, the ticket system's west terminus was moved to a point just east of I-79, and the old Gateway toll plaza was converted to a one-way barrier toll for traffic entering Pennsylvania from Ohio.

IIRC, the entire Westgate toll barrier was completely rebuilt (eastbound & westbound) only a few years before they decided to tear down the "new" westbound booths (wasting money there) and turning the eastbound border entrance into a flat-rate-per-class toll barrier.

Pretty Much.  Both Warrendale & the state line plazas were built as part of the "Cranberry Connector" project to make Cranberry free-flowing.   The state line plaza was for both directions, but was always flat-rate from the first rebuilt.  The PTC did not have the right-of-way to accommodate Express EZ-Pass lanes and booths for both directions, so their solution was to demo half of it and double the tolls for EB traffic.

I actually like the solution  they came up with, since it got rid of the breezewood at I-79.  Just wish that PTC would have service plazas on the the Turnpike someplace between the Ohio border and New Stanton. Though by  having the ticket system end at Warrendale, I suppose some drivers just exit the Turnpike at U.S. 19 (I-79) for food or fuel.

[briantroutman]

I received an email from the PTC this morning alerting me (as a PTC E-ZPass holder) about the gradual removal of payment status traffic lights from toll plazas.

IMPORTANT - Changes for PTC E-ZPass Customers

We're writing to notify you of important changes to the E-ZPass system that will be made by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (Commission or PTC) starting this month. The Commission will begin installing new Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) equipment at toll plazas. The new equipment will be installed incrementally through the end of the calendar year; it is part of the Commission's strategic plan to upgrade our toll technology infrastructure.

How will this change affect me?
As the Commission prepared to update toll equipment in the lanes, we were required to incorporate new Federal Highway Administration standards. The biggest change that E-ZPass customers will notice is the removal of the Feedback Signal or Traffic Light that customers have used to verify their transponder was read. Federal guidelines prohibit the use of such signals at toll plazas. No change is ever "E-Z,"  and this one is no exception. The Commission has been advising E-ZPass customers to look for the signal over the past 16 years, and we understand their removal may cause some initial confusion.

Customers should continue to travel through E-ZPass lanes at the posted speeds for their own safety as well as the safety of our toll collectors and other motorists. If you have questions about your E-ZPass account, including whether your transponder is working properly, contact the PTC E-ZPass Customer Service Center at 1.877.736.6727.

What should I do?
To minimize the impact of this change, we urge all PTC E-ZPass customers to take the following steps:
- Mount the transponder properly as required by the E-ZPass Terms of Agreement.
- Review your E-ZPass account activity monthly.
- Keep your account up-to-date including your address, license plate and payment information.

Following these steps will ensure you keep your account in good standing and avoid violations. If you replenish your E-ZPass account manually, closely monitor your account. When your account reaches low-balance status, an email will be sent advising you that a payment is required.

Other E-ZPass News
Over the last few years, the PTC E-ZPass Customer Service Center has implemented several changes to improve customer service, including:
- Expanded Call-Center Hours – The PTC E-ZPass Customer Service Center is open Mondays - Thursdays from 8 am to 7 pm EST and 8 am to 5 pm on Fridays. The website is available 24/7 at www.paturnpike.com.
- Add Rental Vehicles in One Step – Access your account online to add a rental vehicle. Click the button to identify it as a rental, and the system will prompt you to enter the start and end dates. Customers can also contact the PTC E-ZPass Customer Service Center and speak to a representative.
- License-Plate Verification – When entering a license plate via our website, customers are now required to enter the information twice to verify it is correct and avoid erroneous toll charges.

[jeffandnicole]

I received an email from the PTC this morning alerting me (as a PTC E-ZPass holder) about the gradual removal of payment status traffic lights from toll plazas.

Blah Blah Blah...

The Commission has been advising E-ZPass customers to look for the signal over the past 16 years, and we understand their removal may cause some initial confusion.

Customers should continue to travel through E-ZPass lanes at the posted speeds for their own safety as well as the safety of our toll collectors and other motorists. If you have questions about your E-ZPass account, including whether your transponder is working properly, contact the PTC E-ZPass Customer Service Center at 1.877.736.6727.

...blah blah blah

So, based on what I'm reading, there's going to be nothing indicating whether the toll is paid.  Which means, and this pertains to Val's points, that no extra money is going into adding something that may be removed within several years anyway.

Personally, this is how it should've been all along.  Regardless of what the signal shows, you're not supposed to be stopping in the lane in the first place.

[kalvado]

I received an email from the PTC this morning alerting me (as a PTC E-ZPass holder) about the gradual removal of payment status traffic lights from toll plazas.

Blah Blah Blah...

The Commission has been advising E-ZPass customers to look for the signal over the past 16 years, and we understand their removal may cause some initial confusion.

Customers should continue to travel through E-ZPass lanes at the posted speeds for their own safety as well as the safety of our toll collectors and other motorists. If you have questions about your E-ZPass account, including whether your transponder is working properly, contact the PTC E-ZPass Customer Service Center at 1.877.736.6727.

...blah blah blah

So, based on what I'm reading, there's going to be nothing indicating whether the toll is paid.  Which means, and this pertains to Val's points, that no extra money is going into adding something that may be removed within several years anyway.

Personally, this is how it should've been all along.  Regardless of what the signal shows, you're not supposed to be stopping in the lane in the first place.

Once upon a time, in gated EZpass lane, my pass refused to read - and I got stuck blocking lane (gate bar in front, few cars behind, some concrete left and right) until a friendly cop took the pass and put it on a second antenna.
SOmewhere around NYC. Just saying about "not stopping"

[jeffandnicole]

I received an email from the PTC this morning alerting me (as a PTC E-ZPass holder) about the gradual removal of payment status traffic lights from toll plazas.

Blah Blah Blah...

The Commission has been advising E-ZPass customers to look for the signal over the past 16 years, and we understand their removal may cause some initial confusion.

Customers should continue to travel through E-ZPass lanes at the posted speeds for their own safety as well as the safety of our toll collectors and other motorists. If you have questions about your E-ZPass account, including whether your transponder is working properly, contact the PTC E-ZPass Customer Service Center at 1.877.736.6727.

...blah blah blah

So, based on what I'm reading, there's going to be nothing indicating whether the toll is paid.  Which means, and this pertains to Val's points, that no extra money is going into adding something that may be removed within several years anyway.

Personally, this is how it should've been all along.  Regardless of what the signal shows, you're not supposed to be stopping in the lane in the first place.

Once upon a time, in gated EZpass lane, my pass refused to read - and I got stuck blocking lane (gate bar in front, few cars behind, some concrete left and right) until a friendly cop took the pass and put it on a second antenna.
SOmewhere around NYC. Just saying about "not stopping"

Gates are worse than lights.  Because now you're affecting everyone behind you, and no one can do a damn thing until someone comes over. 

The DRPA bridges have gates, but they're only there to slow you down.  Once you enter the lane, no matter if you have a valid EZ Pass or not, they'll raise up.  The DRJTBC had gates but got rid of them.

The Ohio Turnpike has them, and they're like a big "FU" to those with EZ Pass, as Ohio never wanted the system in the first place but so many people kept running the toll plaza they had to put the system in.  And those gates rise slower than molasses.

[storm2k]

I received an email from the PTC this morning alerting me (as a PTC E-ZPass holder) about the gradual removal of payment status traffic lights from toll plazas.

Blah Blah Blah...

The Commission has been advising E-ZPass customers to look for the signal over the past 16 years, and we understand their removal may cause some initial confusion.

Customers should continue to travel through E-ZPass lanes at the posted speeds for their own safety as well as the safety of our toll collectors and other motorists. If you have questions about your E-ZPass account, including whether your transponder is working properly, contact the PTC E-ZPass Customer Service Center at 1.877.736.6727.

...blah blah blah

So, based on what I'm reading, there's going to be nothing indicating whether the toll is paid.  Which means, and this pertains to Val's points, that no extra money is going into adding something that may be removed within several years anyway.

Personally, this is how it should've been all along.  Regardless of what the signal shows, you're not supposed to be stopping in the lane in the first place.

Once upon a time, in gated EZpass lane, my pass refused to read - and I got stuck blocking lane (gate bar in front, few cars behind, some concrete left and right) until a friendly cop took the pass and put it on a second antenna.
SOmewhere around NYC. Just saying about "not stopping"

Gates are worse than lights.  Because now you're affecting everyone behind you, and no one can do a damn thing until someone comes over. 

The DRPA bridges have gates, but they're only there to slow you down.  Once you enter the lane, no matter if you have a valid EZ Pass or not, they'll raise up.  The DRJTBC had gates but got rid of them.

The Ohio Turnpike has them, and they're like a big "FU" to those with EZ Pass, as Ohio never wanted the system in the first place but so many people kept running the toll plaza they had to put the system in.  And those gates rise slower than molasses.

MTABT had gates too, but with them swiftly implementing ORT so HRH Gov. Cuomo can show what a advocate of transportation he is in the state, they will soon be moot.

[MASTERNC]

PTC just launched a webpage for the last section of widening between Blue Mountain and Carlisle.

https://www.patpconstruction.com/mp202to206/default.aspx

[vdeane]

IMO having a prohibition on any form of notice that the toll was paid successfully is a very, very stupid policy.  What is FHWA smoking?  Do they want people to get hit with more violation notices and fees when the battery in their transponder eventually dies?  At least with the indicator, it will only happen ONCE before you find out there's a problem.

[Revive 755]

IMO having a prohibition on any form of notice that the toll was paid successfully is a very, very stupid policy.  What is FHWA smoking?  Do they want people to get hit with more violation notices and fees when the battery in their transponder eventually dies?  At least with the indicator, it will only happen ONCE before you find out there's a problem.

The way the MUTCD is worded ("or devices that closely resemble traffic control signals that use red or green circularindications ") would not seem to prohibit using square indications or indications with different colors as is done in Illinois.  The blue and orange lights as seen in this streetview picture seem to work fine.

[jeffandnicole]

IMO having a prohibition on any form of notice that the toll was paid successfully is a very, very stupid policy.  What is FHWA smoking?  Do they want people to get hit with more violation notices and fees when the battery in their transponder eventually dies?  At least with the indicator, it will only happen ONCE before you find out there's a problem.

For the PITA that the NJ EZ Pass is with their $1 monthly fee, they are very proactive in sending out replacement EZ Passes before their batteries are expected to expire.  And if they notice a registered vehicle starts getting a bunch of no-read alerts, they'll send out replacement EZ Passes as well in case the tag went bad.

[vdeane]

The email posted from the PTC insinuated that they were replacing them with nothing.

[ARMOURERERIC]

PTC just launched a webpage for the last section of widening between Blue Mountain and Carlisle.

https://www.patpconstruction.com/mp202to206/default.aspx

Funny how this project has just appeared on the PTC design and construction page, yet it has been underway for about 5 months.

[Alps]

The email posted from the PTC insinuated that they were replacing them with nothing.

But that's not the FHWA policy, to which you initially overreacted.

[jemacedo9]

IMO having a prohibition on any form of notice that the toll was paid successfully is a very, very stupid policy.  What is FHWA smoking?  Do they want people to get hit with more violation notices and fees when the battery in their transponder eventually dies?  At least with the indicator, it will only happen ONCE before you find out there's a problem.

Highway-speed toll gantries don't have an indicator indicating toll was paid; they're leaving it up to the user to check their account routinely.  The EZ-Pass Only Exit 320 on the PA Turnpike doesn't have the indicators, either.   

[kalvado]

IMO having a prohibition on any form of notice that the toll was paid successfully is a very, very stupid policy.  What is FHWA smoking?  Do they want people to get hit with more violation notices and fees when the battery in their transponder eventually dies?  At least with the indicator, it will only happen ONCE before you find out there's a problem.

Highway-speed toll gantries don't have an indicator indicating toll was paid; they're leaving it up to the user to check their account routinely.  The EZ-Pass Only Exit 320 on the PA Turnpike doesn't have the indicators, either.

I would hope next generation of ezpass would get an indicator. There are provisions in the chip for that, as far as I remember - limitation likely being battery powered nature of the tag.

[jeffandnicole]

IMO having a prohibition on any form of notice that the toll was paid successfully is a very, very stupid policy.  What is FHWA smoking?  Do they want people to get hit with more violation notices and fees when the battery in their transponder eventually dies?  At least with the indicator, it will only happen ONCE before you find out there's a problem.

Highway-speed toll gantries don't have an indicator indicating toll was paid; they're leaving it up to the user to check their account routinely.  The EZ-Pass Only Exit 320 on the PA Turnpike doesn't have the indicators, either.

I would hope next generation of ezpass would get an indicator. There are provisions in the chip for that, as far as I remember - limitation likely being battery powered nature of the tag.

Overall, you're trying to satisfy a very large group of people that consists of:

A) Regulars that don't care at all and never look at the signage/indicator
B) Regulars/Occasional users that like the reassurance the toll was properly collected.
C) Newbees that don't know if their tag actually registered the toll (these are the people that slow down the most)

The best thing would be an indicator (visual and/or sound) on the tag itself, as it would be nearly impossible to post effective signage for highway-speed tolls.  It would also prevent the slowing down the most as people won't be looking for a sign or signal.

Me, personally, I fall into the A group.  I should do a better job of checking my statement online, but I get a paper statement every 2 months and quickly check it then for any unusual charges.  The only times I caught something was at the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Twice, they charged me for a 5 Axle Truck toll ($20) rather than the typical car toll. 

[kalvado]

Overall, you're trying to satisfy a very large group of people that consists of:

A) Regulars that don't care at all and never look at the signage/indicator
B) Regulars/Occasional users that like the reassurance the toll was properly collected.
C) Newbees that don't know if their tag actually registered the toll (these are the people that slow down the most)

The best thing would be an indicator (visual and/or sound) on the tag itself, as it would be nearly impossible to post effective signage for highway-speed tolls.  It would also prevent the slowing down the most as people won't be looking for a sign or signal.

Me, personally, I fall into the A group.  I should do a better job of checking my statement online, but I get a paper statement every 2 months and quickly check it then for any unusual charges.  The only times I caught something was at the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Twice, they charged me for a 5 Axle Truck toll ($20) rather than the typical car toll.

Add my total mistrust to EZpass into the mix - and a bunch of critical situations like rental car in company name with personal EZpass..
EZpass was well known for non-existing customer service, where things could take months and years  to go through (and "years" comes from personal experience). Although my last complain was resolved at amazing speed, in just over 2 weeks, all via e-mail...

[Rothman]

I've only had one issue with E-ZPass -- a bad/negative read or something like that a few years ago.  The issue was resolved to my satisfaction quickly and I haven't had any other problems since.

[jeffandnicole]

Add my total mistrust to EZpass into the mix - and a bunch of critical situations like rental car in company name with personal EZpass..
EZpass was well known for non-existing customer service, where things could take months and years  to go through (and "years" comes from personal experience). Although my last complain was resolved at amazing speed, in just over 2 weeks, all via e-mail...

This is often a State/Agency-specific issue (much like a Visa card...one Visa bank may be lousy at customer service, whereas another picks up the phone and resolves the issue the first time everytime).  NJ's first EZ Pass vendor/installer was a political favor, and along with it came bad equipment, lousy customer service, and customers getting violation notices even though they had working transponders and registered license plates.   I believe the next administration came in, changed vendors to another company who had much better success with EZ Pass, and everything was fixed.  There's been very few complaints since, although there's always going to be a few unhappy customers (and of course we'll hear one side of the story and not the other).

So, when EZ Pass had non-existing customer service, that could very well be true for one state, but other states may not have that issue.

Rental cars are a big annoyance to the EZ Pass World.  Let's say you have a car rental this week: You even register the car's license plate with EZ Pass, and de-register the plate when you return the car.  If the tag works, that's great...everything flows smoothly.  But if the tag didn't work, by the time they check the video for the car's plate, you may have already de-registered the plate, so they won't find a match.  That means the car rental agency gets the notice, and they'll hit up your card for the tolls and fees.  Also, if a previous renter of that car went thru the EZ Pass lane without a working EZ Pass, and they check the license plate during the week you have the car and have the tag registered, they'll hit your account with the toll as it's registered under your account.

[briantroutman]

Rental cars are a big annoyance to the EZ Pass World.  Let's say you have a car rental this week: You even register the car's license plate with EZ Pass, and de-register the plate when you return the car.  If the tag works, that's great...everything flows smoothly.  But if the tag didn't work, by the time they check the video for the car's plate, you may have already de-registered the plate, so they won't find a match.  That means the car rental agency gets the notice, and they'll hit up your card for the tolls and fees.  Also, if a previous renter of that car went thru the EZ Pass lane without a working EZ Pass, and they check the license plate during the week you have the car and have the tag registered, they'll hit your account with the toll as it's registered under your account.

I'm pretty sure the E-ZPass account match-up is based on the date and time that the photo was taken–not when the highway agency gets around to processing the toll.

So far, I've had a 100% success rate with rental car tolls accurately posting to my E-ZPass, Florida SunPass, and California FasTrak accounts, even when I didn't have the transponder and even when the toll doesn't post until days after I've returned the rental. Likewise, I've never had another renter's tolls billed to my account.

[jeffandnicole]

Rental cars are a big annoyance to the EZ Pass World.  Let's say you have a car rental this week: You even register the car's license plate with EZ Pass, and de-register the plate when you return the car.  If the tag works, that's great...everything flows smoothly.  But if the tag didn't work, by the time they check the video for the car's plate, you may have already de-registered the plate, so they won't find a match.  That means the car rental agency gets the notice, and they'll hit up your card for the tolls and fees.  Also, if a previous renter of that car went thru the EZ Pass lane without a working EZ Pass, and they check the license plate during the week you have the car and have the tag registered, they'll hit your account with the toll as it's registered under your account.

I’m pretty sure the E-ZPass account match-up is based on the date and time that the photo was taken—not when the highway agency gets around to processing the toll.

They are probably looking at two systems - the first is the video/still shot of the photo.  The second is the database of customers.  If they type in a tag number and it comes up with a positive result, that's what they're going to use.  I'll find it very unlikely they're going to do any further research to determine when the tag had been registered to the license plate, which would take a considerable amount of time.   Considering how many non-reads take place (which I believe is an awful lot), these data-entry clerks simply don't have the time to dwell into every account to determine the time of a license plate registration and deregistration.

[kalvado]

Add my total mistrust to EZpass into the mix - and a bunch of critical situations like rental car in company name with personal EZpass..
EZpass was well known for non-existing customer service, where things could take months and years  to go through (and "years" comes from personal experience). Although my last complain was resolved at amazing speed, in just over 2 weeks, all via e-mail...

This is often a State/Agency-specific issue (much like a Visa card...one Visa bank may be lousy at customer service, whereas another picks up the phone and resolves the issue the first time everytime).  NJ's first EZ Pass vendor/installer was a political favor, and along with it came bad equipment, lousy customer service, and customers getting violation notices even though they had working transponders and registered license plates.   I believe the next administration came in, changed vendors to another company who had much better success with EZ Pass, and everything was fixed.  There's been very few complaints since, although there's always going to be a few unhappy customers (and of course we'll hear one side of the story and not the other).

So, when EZ Pass had non-existing customer service, that could very well be true for one state, but other states may not have that issue.

Rental cars are a big annoyance to the EZ Pass World.  Let's say you have a car rental this week: You even register the car's license plate with EZ Pass, and de-register the plate when you return the car.  If the tag works, that's great...everything flows smoothly.  But if the tag didn't work, by the time they check the video for the car's plate, you may have already de-registered the plate, so they won't find a match.  That means the car rental agency gets the notice, and they'll hit up your card for the tolls and fees.  Also, if a previous renter of that car went thru the EZ Pass lane without a working EZ Pass, and they check the license plate during the week you have the car and have the tag registered, they'll hit your account with the toll as it's registered under your account.

My account is with NYS Thruway authority, and I got problems with both Thruway and MassPike. NYSTA is government enough to be immune to small complains, but independent enough not to be concerned about voter feedback.
Resolving less than $1 toll error is meaningless if that requires sending paper letter (as was the case with NYSTA for a while) with first class mail stamp.

[vdeane]

The email posted from the PTC insinuated that they were replacing them with nothing.

But that's not the FHWA policy, to which you initially overreacted.

But the PTC at the very least implied that it was, which is what I reacted based on.  I wasn't expecting the PTC to lie like that.  If they're just not replacing them with something else because they don't want to waste money on a new system prior to switching to AET (a logical decision), they should just say so, not mislead people into thinking that their hands were tied by FHWA.